Eleanor Van Teasdale may not have lived her life on-screen, but the legacy of a life well-lived is evidenced by the testimonies of those who interacted with her and the manner in which they did so. It was a life characterized by vibrant faith, unconditional love, and an unwavering dedication to USPS.

Mother, Maybe?

We know her as "Eleanor from Passports," but she could just as easily be known as "mom." When you think really hard about it, there haven't been many motherly figures with a consistent presence on in the lives of our POstables, yet the way in which each of them interacted with Eleanor suggests that she fulfilled the role of nurturer, confidant, giver of sage advice and unconditional love, a conclusion we can deduce simply by taking a closer look at the moments in which she was mentioned.

Nurturer

"I'm really gonna miss her smoothies. Eleanor had a blender and she used to make me smoothies..."I will never forget the precious innocence with which Norman lamented the realization that Eleanor would no longer be around to make him smoothies. It was a simple act that Norman clearly cherished, and which Eleanor no doubt received much joy from doing, even if the blender did have a tendency "to get stuck on frappe." This sweet reflection is just a snapshot of what we can only assume was a larger legacy of love and kindness the she bestowed upon visitors to her office.

We've also come to learn that both Norman and Oliver, neither of whom truly had mother figures, made visits to her office on what we can only assume is a regular---or, at least in Oliver's case, recently more frequent---basis to said office, as Norman knew about the new blender and even made a special trip to get all four of them smoothies in One In A Million (several of which ended up comforting Nikki later that day). You almost get the picture of two little boys at heart seeking out a motherly figure as adults, finding a "mom" in the workplace.

Smoothie run.

"Come on up to Passports---we'll do some blending."​Shane may have never taken Eleanor up on her offer, but the fact the offer stood open to Shane reminds one of the open invitation to connect with parents we sometimes don't take in life, but through whom unconditional love welcomes us---sons and daughters alike---with no expiration date.

"Death is nothing to be afraid of honey, but it is something to prepare for..."Oliver's words about Eleanor during her funeral were not unlike those a son would use to reflect on his mother, particularly when reflecting on the strength and character of her faith, which found her dispensing sage wisdom with a hint of wit. She relayed messages, the truth of which reverberated even in death, particularly for Shane. And, of course, we know she attended Oliver's church.

But perhaps her greatest act of nurturing came in her stewardship of the potato Norman and Rita ultimately "adopted." At the very least it demonstrated her desire to have a family, which, arguably, she created with the people around her. Eleanor may have settled for parenting a potato, but she truly achieved much more. Norman, Oliver, Rita and even Shane among her adopted "children" in a sense, a concept that will make a lot more sense in the days to come.

ConfidantAside from, or perhaps even parallel to, the duties of a mother to nurture, mom's often become their child's greatest confidant, and it seems Eleanor played this role for at least one POstable.

We know Oliver likes to keep things "close to the vest," as it were, but it seems that Eleanor was the exception, as evidenced by her note of well-wishes attached to Gabe's letter to Hattie. Not only was she aware of Oliver's "date on Saturday," about which she expected a full report, but think a little harder and this tidbit of information actually speaks volumes about the level of trust Oliver placed in Eleanor.

First, that note had to have been written before Eleanor passed, ergo it was penned either before From The Heart or after Oliver re-scheduled with Shane in One In A Million. If we assume it was written prior to From The Heart, this means that Eleanor was the first person to whom Oliver communicated his plans. Norman is forced to extract the information through inference after witnessing Oliver trip over himself in the Mailbox Grille in the same film, and Joe isn't told until long after that first date became a mess a film later.

If we take up the position that Oliver informed Eleanor after their date was rescheduled in One In A Million, then she is still the first person besides Shane to know about the date. Oliver only communicates it to Joe on the commercial set after Eleanor passes in Lost Without You. This means Norman and Rita are, perhaps, unaware, which is why Oliver clams up reading Eleanor's personal note to him in Higher Ground.

A picture of love.

Insane, but true, right?

From this we can infer that there was something about Eleanor that made Oliver feel safe enough for him to express things he wouldn't even to those closest to him---maybe even only to God.

The motherly attributes become even more ingrained when we remember that the person we all eventually came to know as Eleanor was pictured as Martha's mother, who passed several years ago, at the funeral.

Role ModelWhen daughters are asked who their role models are, most identify their mother's immediately. And while this question wasn't asked of either Shane or Rita, there were certainly some things about Eleanor that each wanted to emulate.

It's clear Rita admired Eleanor's inexhaustible tolerance for her blender getting stuck on frappe, noting "she always handled it with such grace." It's the only time we really hear Rita offer commentary on Eleanor, but suggests she, too, had personal interactions with her.

Much like Shane's propensity to "drink kombucha in the evening and martini's at night," Eleanor blends bee pollen, ginger and kombucha smoothies during the day and does cross-stitch at night. Both women are a unique mix of classic and contemporary, and it's clear that Shane desired to "make a kombucha smoothie as good as Eleanor's," making her a culinary role model for Shane at the very least.

Postal, To The End

Aside from being a maternal figure, Eleanor was also a pillar of the Denver Main Branch postal community, the absence of whom was both immediately acknowledged, and deeply felt, bringing even Shane to tears at the news. Known as a "loyal government servant" & "postal to the end," one need only see the cross-stitched USPS motto on her desk to know she truly was dedicated to her work as a postal employee, even dressing as "Charles Lindberg delivering the mail from Paris" for Halloween one year.

Eleanor may have stamped her last Passport as Passport Supervisor, but she wasn't done issuing them once she was gone. Her legacy extends beyond her occupation or even the grave, as her death gave birth to an abundance of life through what she left behind, and in those she left behind, particularly Oliver, Norman, Rita and Shane.

A nurturer in both life and faith, Eleanor encouraged those in her sphere simply by her presence. Of course, as we'll discuss in the coming days, it was in her death that an incredible amount of growth was accomplished by those she left behind, growth which she directly and indirectly contributed to. ​

I love that while we don't see her, Eleanor has a lasting legacy. Reminds me that every one of us matters - whether we are in the spotlight or quietly behind the scenes - God uses our talents and gifts for His purpose. Well done Eleanor. Well done. ;)

Reply

Susan

5/23/2017 12:44:40 pm

Your thoughts on Oliver's relationship with Eleanor are further supported by his action of tucking her note to him into that significant inside jacket pocket of his, close to his heart. Thanks for this thought-provoking post, Chandel. It broadened my thinking to even see Eleanor as a symbol of how the Lord works in our lives: unseen, but ever there to listen, to encourage, to bless, to offer wisdom, to give hope and to share in our hopes and dreams. Really lovely.

That is exactly the connection I wa shooing people would make. Given all I have to cover with Eleanor this week I couldn't work in the explicit connection to the Lord, but there certainly stands one to be made. It's such an important element!

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An Appreciative Fan

5/23/2017 01:33:54 pm

I love this post. Also, great comments from Crissy and Susan. Like Eleanor's office, it is always a delight to drop by A&D and visit with friends.